1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to signal alerting apparatus and method and, in particular, to signal generating devices that produce alert signals such as incoming e-mail as well as stored event reminders, blood pressure, and the like including, but not limited to, hand-held computer operating systems and hardware such as PDA""s, as well as cell phones, blood pressure monitors, and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/707,623, filed Nov. 7, 2000, wherein one of the inventors herein is the inventor thereof, there is disclosed a dual time zone timepiece in which the LCD face of each timepiece changes from one color, such as a light color, to a darker color, when 12:00 noon is reached and which changes back to the light color LCD when the time reaches 12:00 midnight.
Further, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/925,763, filed Aug. 9, 2001, a CIP application of application Ser. No. 09/707,623, and wherein the inventor thereof is one of the inventors herein, there is disclosed a timepiece in which the LCD display can be manually and selectively changed in color as desired by the user.
Many devices such as cell phones, PDA""s (an acronym believed to represent xe2x80x9cPersonal Digital Assistantxe2x80x9d and is defined as a xe2x80x9chand-held computer operating system and hardwarexe2x80x9d such as a PalmPilot(trademark)), pressure monitors, and the like, have an LCD display on which is presented information for the benefit of the user. For instance, cell phones display a symbol representing a message received and missed. When in meetings, the phone may be silenced or placed on low sound level conditions to allow an audible signal to be heard by the user but, hopefully, not by others in the meeting. PDA""s can perform a large number of functions such as receiving radio frequency signals that contain various types of information intended for the benefit of the user such as e-mail and the like. In addition, the user may enter scheduled meeting times, birthdays, memo to send flowers, and the like that the user may access to be reminded of such events. Also, there are a large number of application specific devices such as blood pressure monitors that can be attached to the user and that give an indication of blood pressure. In all of these devices, the user is alerted either by an audible signal, which may interrupt important meetings, by a silent display, or simply by the user accessing the particular function to check on it, such as by visually checking a calendar.
It is well-known that nematic liquid crystals exist that change color when the voltage applied thereto is changed. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,469, there is disclosed an activated work using nematic liquid crystals that change color when the voltage applied thereto is changed.
It would be advantageous to have such a device in which the user could be notified of an incoming signal or stored event by a change in color of at least a portion of the LCD display thus providing a visual indication of the receipt of an e-mail, notification of a scheduled meeting, a birthday, a memo to send flowers, of blood pressure that exceeds a preset level, and a multitude of other reminders or notifications.
The present invention is intended to provide the user of a device having an LCD display with a novel visual notification of the receipt of any one of a plurality of electronic message signals. Such signals are intended to include, but are not limited to, incoming messages such as telephone calls and e-mail as well as stored event reminders, meeting schedules, blood pressure shown on an LCD monitor worn by the user that exceeds, or is less than, a predetermined level, an externally received signal that has passed through a demodulating or other signal detecting electronic device, notification of a FAX message received, back-up data warning, and other messages. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9celectronic messagexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cmessage signalsxe2x80x9d is intended to mean any data presented on an LCD display as a result of an externally received signal or a stored signal. An example would be a signal representing the receipt of a telephone message that is illustrated by specific indicia appearing on the LCD display. The received signal could enter the device as radio frequency signals, infra-red signals, keyboard signals to be stored, light guides, pulse or blood pressure monitors worn on the body of the user, and the like. The received signals are then processed by the device and an a special output signal is then generated to visually indicate the type of signal being received by changing the color of at least a portion of the LCD display.
In the present invention, the LCD of the device, or at least a portion thereof, is changed in color to indicate to the user the presence of the signal received. Either the entire LCD or a portion thereof could be changed in color. As an example, if an e-mail is being or has been received, the entire LCD could change from its normal color to a red color or other available color. As an optional choice, a portion of the LCD, such as a square, a triangle, or other indicia, would change color to indicate the receipt of such signal. As indicated earlier, the device could be any signal receiving device that receives at least one message signal. Such device could be a PDA, a cell phone, an application specific device such as an LCD blood pressure monitor worn by the user, a depth pressure monitor for divers, a time-remaining-below-surface monitor for divers, LCD display of oxygen remaining in a tank, or other like device.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for presenting a visual indication of receipt of an electronic message by changing the color of at least a portion of the LCD display forming a part of the apparatus.
Therefore, the invention relates to apparatus for providing a visual indication of receipt of an electronic message comprising an LCD display forming a part of the apparatus; a first circuit for receiving at least one of a plurality of message signals; a second circuit coupled to the first circuit for recognizing a particular received message signal; and a third circuit coupled between the second circuit and the LCD display for causing at least a portion of the LCD display to change color according to the particular message signal received.
The invention also relates to a method of providing a visual indication of receipt of an electronic message with an apparatus having an LCD display comprising the steps of receiving at least one of a plurality of message signals, recognizing the received message signal; and causing at least a portion of the LCD display to change color according to the recognized message signal received.